Chapter 267: Do you think you can do it with your power? (2)

Thud.

Alberu dropped the pen he held in his hand.

- I can’t help it, even if it seems crazy.

Cale pursed his lips at the smile forming on Alberu’s lips.

“I read the message you left. It was quite short, but I couldn’t help but worry.”

Alberu tapped the desk with his index finger. A small nail mark remained on the paper, but he didn’t care.

He knew the Transparent Blood Family was involved in the virtual reality game, but...

<Raising My Precious Absolute God> Abbreviated as RMPAG, this game...

- ...could become a new world created by the Hunters, right?

“That’s right.”

Cale could only leave that information to Alberu, with whom video conference communication hadn’t been good lately.

Especially to him, the only one among Cale’s group who played the virtual reality game.

- Well. In that case, the players of the game have found a way to create realms or even conquer other realms. Would you let this opportunity slip away?

“...”

Cale leaned back in the chair without saying anything.

- If I can establish a solid base, it will be much easier for you or others who start playing this game later on.

Alberu’s smile faded, and his expression turned serious.

- The level has a great impact in that virtual world. Even if Ahn Roh Man, the number 1 in the ranking, is on our side, I also need to be as strong as possible. Only then can I help you, Choi Han, Raon, by carrying them on my bus.

“Human, what is a bus? What is a level?”

Raon whispered beside him, but Cale ignored Raon and silently watched Alberu.

Alberu looked at him and continued speaking.

- ...I’ll give you more details when you return to Roan. But this place, this place is really...

Alberu couldn’t continue the sentence.

Then, in a low voice, he recited.

- ...a new and vast world. As if several worlds had come together.

Alberu and Cale’s gazes met. A few seconds of silence passed as they looked at each other through the screen.

And then Cale opened his mouth.

“Right now...”

Cale’s face was serious.

“...you’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

- ...

“You find pleasure in it?”

- ...

“You’re having so much fun that you play until late at night, aren’t you?”

- ...

A smile formed on Alberu’s lips.

At that, Cale retorted: “Stop pretending to smile, it’s just awkward.”

Alberu laughed and spoke.

- You’re truly blasphemous.

“It’s blasphemous for the Blasphemous Emperor to say that, Your Majesty.”

Blasphemous Emperor.

That was Alberu’s username in the game.

- ...

Alberu fell silent for a moment, then ran his hand over his eyes. The tiredness on his face became even more evident.

He opened his mouth again.

- I understand why the Hunters want to create a new world. It’s probably not just for the Absolute God.

His voice, now revealing all his tiredness, became low.

Cale looked at him without saying anything. Unable to avoid his gaze, Alberu forced a bitter smile and said.

- To live again in a new world. It’s quite a pleasure.

The Crown Prince of Roan.

Quarter Dark Elf.

Alberu Crossman.

Without the chains of all that, within that game he could be and do whatever he wanted.

Of course, he didn’t get everything he wanted, nor did he conquer everything. But at least he didn’t have to worry about the looks on his existence.

That pleasure was considerable.

- Of course, I have no intention of letting this affect my work.

Alberu found himself speaking as if he were apologizing, something he didn't quite understand.

He had continued to do his job as usual, and he had also kept up his routine of practicing magic and swordsmanship. He only played the game in his spare time.

He even did so considering the fight against the Hunters.

‘No, it’s not that.’

Alberu corrected his thought.

‘I’m enjoying it, even considering the Hunters.’

In reality, Alberu hadn’t ventured much out of the royal palace. It might be because he was royalty, but mostly because he had been abandoned when he was young, so he had very few opportunities to see the outside world.

Even after his freedom of movement increased to a certain extent, he hadn’t had the chance to enjoy beautiful landscapes or impressive views of the city.

However, within the game, he was an adventurer, with the potential to be anything.

Moreover, he could respawn if he died, and there were ways to recover if he failed.

‘It’s terrifying.’

The more Alberu thought about it, the more terrifying this virtual reality seemed to him.

‘Thank goodness.’

He was glad he had this conversation with Cale Henituse today. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to reflect on his own state.

Ha.

Had it ever been like this?

Alberu found this new side of himself intriguing.

It was then...

“Hmm.”

Cale murmured as he spoke.

“I figured.”

What?

Cale shrugged.

“Aren’t you the type of person who strives in everything they do? So I guess you’ve also taken a liking to the game.”

If he had been a lazy person, he wouldn’t have enjoyed the game he had started at Cale’s request.

“Well, do as you see fit.”

- Cale Henituse. Aren’t you being too careless?

Alberu’s expression wavered.

Cale had the expression of “do whatever you want, I don’t care” that anyone could see.

Suddenly, Alberu felt like quitting.

At that moment, Cale shrugged again.

"I'm not being careless. I'm saying this because I consider and respect the Crown Prince. Isn't that right, Crown Prince…?"

- ...?

Cale, who had been dragging out the sentence, laughed foolishly at Alberu’s astonished look.

“Are you going to faint and fall to the ground like me? Oh, but maybe you will bleed from the nose. At this rate, I’ll be the one getting healthier. Hahaha!”

At that moment, Raon joined the conversation.

"Human, Human! The Crown Prince has a terrible look on his face, and I think his pride is wounded!"

“Hahaha!”

Cale laughed even more upon hearing that.

- ...

Alber fell silent and then opened his mouth.

- You're helping me regain my sanity.

And then,

Pffft.

He burst out laughing.

“Huh?”

Cale felt strangely annoyed to see the corner of Alberu’s mouth lifted.

Then, Alberu spoke with a really strange and awed tone.

- Cale Henituse. Do you think that’s possible?

“...”

Cale fell silent, and the average Ten-year-old children opened their mouths.

“I think the Crown Prince will never be like our Human!”

“That’s right! The youngest is right!”

“The difference between exercising and not exercising is quite big. It can’t be compared. We should compare the Crown Prince to a knight.”

Following Raon and Hong, Cale, who saw On speaking softly, couldn’t say anything after seeing On’s pitiful eyes.

- Hahaha!

Instead, the Crown Prince let out a refreshing and bright laughter reminiscent of the sun.

- Suddenly, I feel sleepy.

Then he spoke in a fresh tone.

- Is there any news to share?

“...There’s a lot.”

Cale sighed and shared with Alberu the information he hadn’t been able to share until now.

Tap, tap.

A silver front paw like a soft wool cushion hit Cale’s leg. Cale pretended not to notice for the first time that comforting gesture from On’s hand.

***

The temple building where Pope Casillia resides. Behind the building was a small garden.

It was the only place in the orderly and clean temple where plants grew exuberantly. However, due to the ivy climbing the high wall, the garden landscape wasn’t visible to ordinary people.

Tapping, tapping~

The courtyard was decorated like a small forest. Instead of well-kept flowers, it had more trees, grass, and wildflowers, giving it a natural feel.

In the center was a pond.

Tapping, tapping~

A drop of water fell from Pope Casillia’s hand and rippled the surface of the pond.

She turned her head.

“Pope-nim.”

Bishop Horns bowed his head and stepped aside.

Then five beings entered her field of vision.

Standing in the center of them was Cale Henituse.

“Pleased to meet you.”

The Pope approached him, hiding her hands under the wide sleeves.

Rubbing, rubbing.

The long hem of her robe brushed against the herbs, and the wind made her hair wave. Although she wore the same oversized robe as always, the rest of her appearance seemed more relaxed, as if she were on vacation.

“It’s also an honor to meet the Pope.”

Cale extended his hand.

But Casillia only smiled and didn’t take that hand.

“......”

“......”

A moment where a human and a Dragon Half-Blood stared at each other.

A human broke the silence.

“Cale-nim requested a handshake.”

Clopeh Sekka.

He laughed as he spoke to the Pope.

‘This guy is crazy!’

Cale’s forehead furrowed, and the Pope unusually stopped.

Cale read the barely perceptible tension on her face.

‘Clopeh Sekka, what has this guy done to the Pope?’

It was said that he had destroyed a temple building.

‘But I heard it was Rasheel’s doing.’

Clopeh said he hadn’t destroyed anything.

As Cale’s doubt was increasing, the Pope dispelled his doubts.

“I don’t shake hands.”

So Cale withdrew his hand. This was something he didn’t know.

The Pope continued.

“However, through Clopeh Sekka, I have received a general report of what Commander Cale Henituse has been doing. It is a pleasure to meet you in person.”

‘How did Clopeh Sekka introduce me?’

Cale began to feel dizzy.

‘But he’s not someone who messes things up.’

Given the level of trust he had in Clopeh Sekka, Cale spoke without worries.

“I appreciate the information about the Emperor.”

The meaning of those words was simple.

‘By giving me that information, are you implying that you’re also willing to cooperate to some extent? There’s no need to be suspicious of each other, let’s quickly finish this.’

The Pope responded softly.

"No problem. We've walked together for a while, of course we should do this."

"For a while together..."

Cale smiled slightly and murmured.

"Shall we work together to eliminate the Purple Blood Family?"

The Pope’s smile intensified.

"That’s right. However, I can’t guarantee anything after that, even though our goals match for now."

'The only desire I have is chaos and destruction,' she thought.

Pope Casillia not only desired to destroy the Dragons but also the entire world.

'How will he react to these words?'

According to Clopeh Sekka and Hannah, Cale Henituse was a true hero. 'That kid is good.'

Recalling the evaluations about him, she awaited his response. Finally, his lips parted. "Shall we work together to eliminate the Purple Blood Family?"

"That’s right."

His reaction to this conversation was very simple.

'Is that all?'

The Pope felt intrigued, but a smile returned to her lips.

"Please, take a seat while we prepare some snacks."

She had set up a table with chairs and a small banquet on the terrace. Her gaze turned to Cale’s group.

“Will your companions join us as well?”

And then she stopped...

“Pleased to meet you, Pope!”

Raon, who had deactivated his camouflage, greeted the Pope.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen such a cheerful Dragon. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dragon from another world.”

“I’m Raon Miru! And what’s your name?”

The Pope replied calmly.

“Why would a great Dragon like you want to know the name of an inferior Dragon Half-blood? It would only dirty your ears.”

Bishop Horns, who had guided her, froze at her words. At that moment, only Bishop Horns and another Bishop were present on the Pope’s side.

Horns, observing Cale’s reaction, opened his mouth. But someone was faster than him. It was Raon.

“Don’t talk nonsense! I want to know the names of the other Dragon Half-bloods!”

Raon tilted his head in curiosity.

“We have a nameless Dragon Half-blood, but that Human over there still hasn’t given him a name! So I need to hear the names of other Dragon Half-bloods for examples!”

Cale’s eyebrows furrowed.

‘A nameless Dragon Half-blood?’

He referred to the Bone Dragon located in the Black Castle.

“I’ve already given him a name.”

He had given him a name with special meaning, after much thought.

Raon smiled with joy and immediately asked.

“Then, tell me what it is! Is it perhaps ‘Yong Miru’ or ‘Long Miru’?”

And then he was surprised.

“Ah!”

He quickly covered his mouth with his two front paws. At the same time, he looked at Cale and the others.

“I didn’t say anything!” And suddenly shouted that.

“Ha~!”

While Cale chuckled at his behavior, a voice whispered.

“…Miru…?”

It was Pope Casillia. Her gaze turned to Raon Miru. It was the first time she had seen him with attention. She asked the young black Dragon.

“Miru... isn’t it the same surname?”

Raon Miru.

Definitely, that was this Dragon’s name.

But she was curious about “which Miru” when they were giving a new name to the nameless Dragon Half-blood.

“Cough, cough!”

Raon kicked his front paws and flapped his wings. His face gradually flushed. Anyone could see he was embarrassed.

“I, I didn’t say anything!”

He then hid behind On and Hong. Of course, Raon was much bigger than On and Hong in cat form, but for the moment, Raon hid behind On. Additionally, he raised his head slightly and looked at Cale’s reaction.

“What’s wrong?”

At Cale’s silly question, Raon shouted.

“I don’t know either! He tried to kill me, it’s weird!”

Oh.

Cale sighed. He fully understood Raon’s feelings.

Dragon Half-blood.

That guy had tried to kill Raon while he was in the Death Gorge during his first growth. Later, Raon found out that what was in the heart of the Dragon Half-blood was of his own brother.

Both the former Lord Sheritt and Raon. The conflicting feelings two Dragons could have towards the Dragon Half-blood were within the realm of understanding.

‘And the Dragon Half-blood too...’

Although it seemed he wasn’t showing it.

Cale stopped thinking more about the Dragon Half-blood. Now was the time to focus on the Pope.

Just then...

“...He tried to kill you, but... are you giving him your same surname...?”

The Pope murmured quietly and observed Raon silently. Her gaze, unlike before, was not warm but filled with strange agitation. Anger, resentment, confusion, hatred... They were definitely negative emotions remnants.

At that moment, Cale stood between the Pope and Raon.

Casillia raised her head, which had been looking at Raon, and looked at Cale. A cold and indifferent look was staring at her.

“Let’s just decide how far we go together.”

He pointed beyond his shoulder.

“Let’s go. Let’s have a cup of tea.”

Ah.

And Cale then added with a brief exclamation.

“Don’t touch my allies. Do you understand?”

Pope Casillia regained her senses seeing the cold gaze looking down at her. She couldn’t help it. Despite being under the warm sun, she suddenly felt cold. No, she felt freezing. This must be because of the aura enveloping her. An invisible aura surrounded her alone, and the owner of that aura whispered.

Don’t touch my allies.

“Then, everything will be over.”

What would be over?

She didn’t need to ask to know the answer. After all, Cale Henituse’s eyes only contained Pope Casillia. And before that gaze, Casillia felt a strange sensation.

A young Dragon who wants to give the same surname to the Dragon Half-blood who tried to kill him.

And a human who steps forward to protect that young Dragon.

Her heart became as strange as this strange combination.

At that moment...

- Pope-ah!

The voice of the young Dragon resonated. It was a voice that only she could fully hear.

- Are you feeling very bad?

Her hands inside the wide priestly garment trembled slightly. That’s why, at some point, she couldn’t shake hands.

‘It seems the eyes of the Dragon are inevitable.’

At the moment when Casillia’s eyes were about to be stirred again.

- If you’re a Dragon Half-blood, maybe my mother and Goldie Gramps can heal you. I saw my mother researching something last time! And if you’re sick, you should get treatment!

The Dragon spoke cheerfully.

- And next time, tell me your name! I’m curious! And the Dragon Half-blood from our house, although he’s very shy, is quite active in secret. Don’t you plan to make friends? If you want to make friends, I’ll introduce you!

Ha.

Casillia couldn’t help but laugh. Her heart was stirred. Strangely.

‘It seems Raon has done something.’

Cale watched as the Pope Casillia’s eyes, which had stopped and were laughing, turned to the room where Raon was, and he shook his head from side to side.

At that moment...

- Human, I haven’t done anything!

The moment he heard those words, he knew.

‘He definitely did something.’

Anyway, if the Pope has something in mind, she won’t touch Raon.

Cale sat at the snack table that Pope had prepared and said straightforwardly.

“In a month, we will raid the Dragon Lord’s Lair. Maybe around Harvest Festival?”

Plop~

The Third Bishop Horn dropped the cookie he was giving to the average Ten-year-old children.

Cale demanded confidently.

“Give me a map of the Lair. If possible, I would like it to also have the shortest routes marked.”

By then, the silent First Bishop spoke.

“... After all, you have to be this crazy to face a Dragon.”

Clopeh Sekka told him seriously, his face serious as if asking him not to say such things.

“Don’t say that. This is the process of creating a legend.”

Oh my.

Cale closed his eyes tightly. He held back a sigh and opened his mouth.

“Anyway, give me the map and the weaknesses of the Dragon Lord. As soon as possible. Let’s get this over with.”

Cale, who had his eyes closed, didn’t know it.

The astonished looks of Horns and the First Bishop who were looking at him.

And the gaze of the Pope, shining with strange madness.

“Ha, haha-”

The Pope’s laughter resonated freshly in the courtyard.

It was the first time she laughed out loud.

“It’s amusing.”

At her words, Cale opened his eyes and said.

“Do you find it amusing?”

“Yes. I’ll prepare the map for you.”

Wow.

Cale admired the Pope’s attitude.

At least he could reason with her.

He was glad he didn’t have to ask too many questions.

***

If you find any errors or have suggestions, please feel free to provide feedback.

Thank you for reading!

[Author – Yu Ryeo Han]

[Translator – Anowa]

[Proofreader – Rai_Mayank]